Time In Rush-hour Traffic Increasing In Hampton Roads

Hampton Roads commuters who travel during rush hour seem to be spending more and more time stuck in traffic.

Rush-hour travelers spent a greater percentage of their time on clogged roads in 2001 than they did the previous year, a new national study from the Texas Transportation Institute has shown.

According to the 2003 Urban Mobility Report, rush-hour travelers took 19 percent longer to get from point A to point B in 2001 than they did during off-peak traveling times. The study based the data on a 25-minute commute.

In 2000, Hampton Roads travelers spent 17 percent longer commuting during rush hour than they did during non-rush hour.

The annual study compares the length of travel delays per person and other factors in 75 metropolitan areas throughout the country.

Hampton Roads was ranked higher in terms of travel delays in 2001 than it was a year earlier.

In 2001, it tied for 41st place in terms of rush-hour delays out of 75 cities -- up from 48 in 2000, according to Bernie Fette, a spokesman for the Transportation Institute. The Norfolk- Newport News-Virginia Beach region ranked 26th in population among the 75 metropolitan areas.

"The problem is getting worse," said Fette, of traffic in the 75 cities. He said the metropolitan areas studied can't keep up with the growth in congestion because of limited resources.

But the study points at some solutions, he said.

The Transportation Institute, based at Texas A & M University, concluded that traffic would be reduced considerably if traffic signals are installed on ramps, traffic signals are properly synchronized and roads are cleared of accidents and disabled cars in an efficient manner.

"I think we can feel somewhat better about the traffic situation we face because we have remedies that are working," said Fette.

Los Angeles again ranked highest in terms of traffic congestion with 90 additional hours spent in traffic for commuters with a 25-minute commute.

Keith Rushing can be reached at 247-7870 or by e-mail at krushing@dailypress.com